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p of the lungs, and the weight of the child is of Southampton, county of Hants, England,

. device for carrying an infant, one which shall use either or both hands for other purposes,

age-holder; but in that construction whatever UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. LANCASTER, OF SOUTHAMPTON, COUNTY OF HANTS, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT J. BAYLESS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BABY-CARRIE R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent. No. 278,437, dated May 29, 1883.

' Application filed February 11, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom ttmay concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. LANCASTER,

have invented a new and useful Improvement in Baby-Carriers, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the invention is to provide a not only be adjustable and distribute the weight of the child and carrier upon different parts of the wearer so as to equalize strain, but which shall allow the wearer to change the strain from one shoulder to another, and'thus rest either; and the invention consists in the construction and adaptation of the device, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

As ordinarily practiced, the act of carrying an infant not onlyengages the services of both arms, rendering them useless for other purposes, but the shoulders are brought together at the expense of the healthy free expansion continuouslyin the same direction. Not only is this practice tiresome and inconvenient, but

unhealthy and dangerous.

By my invention the mother or nurse may the shouldersand arms may have free and independent movement and volition, the weight of the child bears both backward and forward on the shoulders, and may be partially changed from one shoulder to the other at will, and a person with one arm, or one arm disabled from anycause, may successfully carry a child.

I am aware of Patent No. 240,151 for apackaweight is thrown upon the shoulders or neck bears constantly in a forward direction. a

I am also aware of Patent No. 35,002 for a soldiers blanket-holder; but as the blanket or weight in that case is held behind the back, both objects and construction are diti'erent.

The invention is fully illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view of the device as worn and in operation; Fig. 2, a reverse view, showing the operation of the shoulderstrap; and Fig. 3, 'a plan view. y

Referring to the drawings, B represents a continuous strap,in two pieces, adjustabiy se-' cured together by an ordinary, buckle. a. At opposite points upon the main strap Bare secured eyes d, and the free ends of said strap are provided with slides 11, which, operating upon the main strap, form loops, the length of which may be adjusted at will. These loops carry eyes 0, having snap-hooks c, which are adapted to engage in the eyes d when the device is in operation. Secured at each end to the strap B are cross-bars D E F G, as shown, the series being connected at their centers by an elastic strap H. This portion forms the cradle or receptaclefor the infant, and it may be further provided with a net-work, K. it de- 6 sired.

In order to relieve the strain from the neck of the wearer, caused by strap B, I employ a shoulder-strap, I, one end of which is secured to the strap B at a point near the cradle, and

the other provided with a'snap-hook, h, held by an adjustable loop formed by a slide, 9. The snap-hook it engages an eye, at, upon a strap, 12, also secured to the main strap B near the cradle. This strapl passes up in front of the wearer and down behind, may, hethrown readily over either shoulder, and may be readily: adjusted in length, as maybe desired.

What I claim as new is- 1. A babycarrier formed of the adjustable 8o strap B, having eyes 01, the adjustable snaphooks .c, and the cradle or receptacle formed of the bars D E F G and strap H, as set forth.

2. The baby-carrier herein described, con- Sisting of the strap B, having eyes d and adjustable snap-hooks c, the cradle or receptacle D, E, F, G, and H, and the shoulder-strap I, all constructed, combined, and adapted to serve as and for thepurposes set forth.

JAMES H. LANCASTER.

Witnesses:

C. SEDGWICK, WM. W. LUYSTER. 

